Elapse: Cycle of the Forgotten
by Lynxleap
Summary: Takes place after MoA. Gaea and her Giants remain undefeated, but a Golden Age continues in its promise. Astraea, the goddess representing the constellation Virgo, is said to come back and be the ambassador of this time. Meanwhile, more and more of Gaea's minions lure away demigods. Based on the Ancient Prophecy, how will Cambria and friends open the Doors of Death? *Summaries :/


The story is pretty long! I hope you like it! :D Sorry if you find any punctuation mistakes.

-Lynx

**THIN ICE**

I

Cambria held her breath as she shut her locker. Beside her, Rowan's tousled bronze curls were parted over his forehead to shield himself from the chaos of high school that surrounded them. Even if he wasn't half a foot taller than her five feet three inches, his red-brown halo would definitely throw off the tie.

Her long fingers worked nervously to twist her lock back into place and set it at, _0. _Looking back at Rowan, she felt her stomach twist into a knot. She couldn't place the anxiety that was beginning to swell inside her. She just felt odd, odder than usual—like something was horribly wrong.

Of course, that's how school had been for her for the last fifteen years. With her ADD, over compulsive disorder and dyslexia, she wasn't always the student at the top of their game, so it was just a ticking clock to see when she'd get in trouble. It hadn't come yet at the high school. She decided that was hopefully a good thing.

Rowan smiled at her Adidas drawstring bag as she strung it over her shoulders. "The field trip will be fun, I'm sure. It'll be a break from school," he said convincingly.

Cambria hoped he was right. To be honest, she wasn't completely sure whether or not she would be permitted to go—it came with the "expenses" her record had—but Rowan would be going, and she supposed she had a good chance, too. Just for the last few days awaiting the trip, her heart would begin to race when she indulged the topic.

It was hard for her to articulate her struggles to her friend. "I don't know…I'm just nervous, I guess."

Rowan's face darkened mournfully. "Cambria, we just have two more weeks of school. Then you'll be scot-free."

She took a deep, shaky breath. At least he understood. It was hard to believe, but Rowan was the closest, most compassionate friend she had made. Since they met, he always seemed worried, like she had an illness and he was the older brother who secretly knew how to spot the symptoms arising.

"Right." Cambria tried to smile. She felt like she was going to yak.

"Hey, Cambria," said one of her friends, Dustie. She played with a dark chocolaty lock of Cambria's hair as she passed.

"Hey," she said back. She steadied her trembling hands on the strings of her bag.

Compulsive and wobbly, Cambria stuck one leg out in front of the other to keep herself up; only it threatened her balance even more. Before she could tumble to the floor like a deficient idiot, Rowan's arms shot forward. He grasped her shoulders sturdily and held them there until her placement was guaranteed. His forearms were strong and decorated with a coat of fine hair that was a stark contrast to his shy, sensitive artist personality.

"Thanks," Cambria whispered gratefully. She glanced over to see if her accusations were true, if someone was gaping. She would have, or expected from a spectator's view.

Rowan bent toward her ear protectively. "Are you out of medicine?"

"No," chuckled Cambria. She still had half a dozen Prilosec and she took one before school. She took Zoloft in the evening to help her anxiety, and probably should take some Adderall, but with other medication, the side effects could be worse than her actual condition. She just started taking the pills, and already she felt unlike herself.

"Are you alright?" her friend asking worriedly.

"I'm fine," she assured him. She steadied herself. "I think." Cambria didn't want to treat the anxiousness like a big deal. As long as she calmed herself down, it'd be okay. She had to be doing it to herself, right? A medical jinx, maybe.

They noticed the hallways beginning to thin. It always seemed like students _never _stopped congregating in the corridors, but for some reason, they were more aware of their schedule than Cambria apparently.

"Let's go," she sighed.

"You sure you're okay?"

Cambria beamed encouragingly. "I'm okay. It'll pass."

The two had first period together in science. Since they would be leaving the field trip early and it'd last the whole school day, they didn't really have an objective in class. It started off normally: breakfast was served, they turned in worksheets, got started on a homework project due next week. The morning announcements came on, and not two minutes after the pledge ended, Mrs. Todd was eyeing her.

"Cambria," she addressed in a low voice. It was a subtle call and no one really paid them any attention. Soon her teacher was at her side. "Can you step outside with me for a minute, please?"

She pushed herself out of the seat. "Yeah, sure."

Following her out of the classroom, Mrs. Todd led her right outside the door beside a row of lockers. She flipped through a page of papers and let Cambria examine them.

"These are your records," she explained softly.

They should be longer than that, Cambria thought with amusement, but then realization flooded her. "Oh, okay."

"We went through these papers in a meeting yesterday after school with…uh…your counselor. And Mr. Chadwick," she added. "We were discussing it and we decided that you _were _eligible for the fieldtrip—"

"I haven't had any problems here."

"No," Mrs. Todd agreed awkwardly. "It wasn't a matter of the problems at school. It had to do with the issue…last year with the, uh, fight and they put it in the records as a precaution. It's a public issue. So if there are public issues, it means that the school system is…dubious of whether you would be allowed to go on another field trip. That's just why that is."

Last year, at the local middle school, Cambria got into a disastrous brawl on a field trip, and some public property was destroyed. She hadn't been on one since out of sheer indifference, so it was new to hear this.

"Oh, I get it," Cambria said. "So because I got in trouble on a field trip, they don't want me going on another one."

"In Cleveland Public Schools," Mrs. Todd corrected. "But they glossed over it. So…they accepted you. I guess there were issues with the kids involved, I don't know the full story, I wasn't teaching there, as you know.

"But during the conference, we talked about if you were prepared for it academically. There were some complications. Ms. Lombardi said she took issue with you going; she had problems with you in her class? So that's why it took a while. But myself and Mr. Callahan vouched for you. After you won the Citizenship Award, Mrs. Blue figured you were set."

Of course. Ms. Lombardi _would _have issues with Cambria.

"That's good."

"When did you win, the first week?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Yeah, so your counselor, Mrs. Blue, she thought that you were a good kid and you should go. Do you have a permission slip?"

"Yes. I turned it in but we weren't sure whether or not it'd be accepted."

"Okay. So it's all taken care of, and you should be all set."

"Thank you!"

Mrs. Todd smiled and brushed her soft red bangs out of her face. She took off her classes to clean the lens. "I'm happy for you, Cambria."

"Oh, thanks. Um…so who will my chaperone be?"

"Oh! Yeah, you'll go and check the lists. They're posted out here somewhere." She looked around. "Oh, by the bathrooms. But you are all plugged in, so you _will _be on the list, your chaperone will have you; there shouldn't be any problems."

"All right. Thank you."

"You're welcome, honey."

Mrs. Todd walked off to join Mr. Callahan outside his classroom and he waved to Cambria. She gestured back, a little burst of gratitude removing all the negative emotions out of her. He was a good teacher who had kept trying to look out for her, and recommended a summer camp at one point, not that she'd ever be interested. Oddly enough, he—who was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as well—went there when he was her age and said it helped him. He still wears the same beaded necklace he was appointed there.

It wasn't long after Cambria returned that Mr. Chadwick came on the intercom, directing any ninth grade participants to their general base area. The "base" was just the teacher you were assigned for testing or field trips, alphabetically.

Well then, Rowan probably wouldn't be in the same class.

There was a crowd of students hovering over the base list after announcements. Again, a bug of fear crawled into the pit of her gut. She tried to quell it the best she could, hoping it wouldn't gradually develop throughout the trip.

Springfield, Rowan, Rm. 207

On the list, she and a few other names were added at the bottom in pen that had been copied.

Grand, Cambria, Rm. 201

She digested the numbers slowly and it dawned on her like freight train going five hundred miles an hour.

_Of course. _Of _course _she'd be assigned Ms. Lombardi for the trip. But…there was something odd about that. As it was ordered alphabetically, the base teachers would not change through the year. She didn't remember being in Ms. L's class for testing earlier in the year. Even a few weeks ago. Actually, she didn't remember seeing Ms. Lombardi at all.

The image of her math teacher crept into her mind. Ms. Lombardi's profile: She in that awful snakeskin blazer she wore every day, the hideous scarf made from some similar pattern, and a pair of dark glasses that hid her eyes, only reflecting your horrified face when she asked you a question you so obviously did not have the answer to. When did she appear at school?

A huge tension locked behind Cambria's eye sockets and a terrible throbbing took her temples. The pain was so immediate and fresh that she slumped against the wall for support. She groaned in discomfort. She couldn't think of anything—even of the people surrounding her, or else it would bring on an onslaught of agony to her head.

Strange pictures flashed in her mind, disturbing her eyes. She thought her knees were going to give in, that she could never overcome the misery, but quickly the feelings subsided. Her head cleared and she rolled back onto her heels. She was fine.

Cambria could no longer recall what she was thinking; she could not form the train of thought regarding her algebra teacher. It simply disappeared, like fish and grime being sucked out of a lake. You couldn't reach down and grab at it. It was no longer there.

She almost forgot what she was doing when she spotted Nicole Graham, somebody that one of her friends knew, cross into Ms. Lombardi's homeroom. Her objective came back to her and she followed the girl inside.

Before their school arrived at the Cuyahoga County Courthouse, Rowan briefly met with Cambria and suspiciously requested that she wait for him once they got there. So, when the busses unloaded, she did. He was probably curious as to what confirmed that she could go, and besides, she was going to make him guess which chaperone she had. Not that it'd be hard.

Rowan was one of the last people to dispatch, finally relieving Cambria. It wouldn't be long before Ms. Lombardi whisked them away to begin the tour. If she didn't go, she'd probably be reprimanded.

The two of them stood outside the beautiful and classical courthouse beside the statue of Thomas Jefferson. The front of the structure was filled with students awaiting their principal to give their chaperones orders. Cambria observed the architectural details the building possessed: the columns, the archways of doors and windows, the rounded and carefully crafted pillars, the statues carved into the white stone. It was grander than she was expecting, for sure.

Rowan's floppy bangs hung over his face as he squinted up at the glorious sun. He wore a simple Lake Erie Storm T-shirt with his faded jeans and Reeboks. He looked like he didn't belong there, that he wasn't with the hyped up high school that were chasing each other down the street. In a way, he had always looked older than his ninth grade self. Cambria always figured by his maturity level that he must have failed a year or so, but now it didn't seem like he was the spaz he could be in class.

"You've got to be careful," at last he said, darkly.

Cambria felt like laughing. Was he really taking it that seriously?

Light heartedly, she said, "What do you mean?"

Rowan was about to say something, but hesitated. "You know she's going to try any which way to get you in trouble."

"What else is new."

"She could—suspend you for this! Cambria, if she didn't want you on the trip, and gets you kicked off, they _have _to listen to her at that point! She could get you in _huge trouble! _You don't realize the level of severity that it would bring. You're on thin ice! …And at one point it's going to crack."

Cambria stared at him. He was one hundred percent completely serious, and being truthful. This trip was a risk. A coincidental trap. There was no doubt in her mind that that teacher would find some way to punish her. She knew deep down in her heart that Ms. Lombardi hated her; no proof was necessary.

She wasn't sure if oxygen was circulating through her, but Rowan spared her breath.

"Okay, she's assembling your group now. I knew you'd be on this field trip one way or the other, Cambria. I knew I had to go. There's no way she'd drop an opportunity like that." His wide hazel eyes met hers with desperation. "I can't change anything. Just don't doubt her. I'll see you soon." And he walked away abruptly.

Still, she couldn't feel air come out of her lungs. She was holding on to the little breath she already had, watching her friend join his team through narrowed eyes.

The strange part was that she believed him entirely. One, because she knew Rowan by now. Sure, he got confused a lot, and sometimes people took advantage of him—but he was absolutely emotionally committed. That's one thing about him that she admired. If he felt something, he stuck with it; it filled his entire spirit, body and mind.

Secondly, there was an uncanny connection to what he said. Some similarity. It's almost like she already knew: just like in his case, rooted to the depths of her body.

Suddenly a sound filled her ears. She could not decipher what it said, but it was almost like she could see the word. Or spell it in her head that is. Quickly her eyes shot to each direction, looking for the speaker. They settled upon a window in the courthouse, where something had moved out of the corner of her vision. Something shifted in the glass and dispersed.

Cambria blinked hard. The writing was still there, in her mind.

Στενότερη

Strange, she thought.

Terrified, she bounded over to where her group was passing into the courthouse. Really, going inside did not comfort her, but somehow the company of others did.

Day bumped into her shoulder as they walked. She was standing with a circle of her friends, Savannah, Erika, Stevie, Chris and Dana.

"Hey," greeted Cambria, who was trying to keep her mind off the foreign word now fading away.

"_Hey_," replied Day in her usual optimistic tone. "I wonder if this place is haunted."

It was a joke, and unlikely, but it unsettled Cambria. Not because she was scared of a ghost—but did that mean Dustie saw something, too?

"Why do you say that?" Cambria questioned.

"No, I was just kidding. This place looks pretty old, though."

"It's amazing in here."

"Have you ever been inside a court, then?"

"Uh…once. I think. With my dad, for some custody thing." The memory brought back emotional pictures. Like Sid. And things like the fires and the homeless shelter. And most importantly down the line of the gallery, _the psycho._ Cambria shuddered.

Day laughed at her uncomfortable disposition. "I came to a court, too. For my mom's boyfriend."

"Oh, after he trashed the house?"

"Yeah. Well, he wasn't in there but the landlord evicted us and my mom tried to sue him, so we went to court."

"Did she sue him?"

"Nope." Day frowned. "He won the case, but she didn't have to pay anything either. 'Cause our landlord should have given us a thirty day notice, and he didn't." Then Savannah started tugging on Day, talking about something so she joined their conversation. Cambria continued to walk, unfazed.

The courthouse was truly magnificent. The lobby had a stunning arched ceiling with a row of light beams, despite the bright lamps. Every doorway was masterly carved.

Cambria had always had a soft spot for the practice of law, though she feared every threat the school gave her about taking her to court. If she were to plan her academic life, she'd major in philosophy or political engineering, graduating from Oxford University.

But she didn't see that happening.

The tour guide, who was so far down that Cambria could only catch glimpses of her, led them threw the wide corridor. Squeezing into a narrow hallway, she announced from the top of the stairs that once they all collected on the floor, they could separately tour the wing.

"It's very expansive up here," she explained cheerfully to Ms. Lombardi. Her giggly voice echoed through the stairwell.

"I _see_," she heard Ms. Lombardi reply cunningly. "I think that's good for our students."

"I do, too," agreed the tour guide.

Their laughter that ensued sounded like hissing to Cambria.

When she made it up all the marble steps, Miss Sunshine was waiting by the stairs, bearing a nametag that read, _Jayla—_something or other. Her hair was frizzy and black, tied into a low, messy ponytail. Her teeth were very white and short, her smile implacable. She looked to be in her thirties, with dark, reflective eyes. "Good morning," she said to Cambria.

"Morning," she muttered back.

"Enjoying the tour?"

"It's fantastic."

"Ooh, how nice to here!"

Cambria walked away. She couldn't see Ms. Lombardi on the floor, and so she laughed to herself. A good thing.

She didn't catch up to her group of Day and the others afterwards. She figured she'd get to see more of the courthouse alone, and since Rowan was probably exploring some other region of it, and it was unlikely that they'd see each other any time soon, why not just tour individually?

"Alright, don't wander too far!" Jayla, the tour guide, called to the students. "In about fifteen to twenty minutes, we'll be looking through Wing _E, _and exchanging with…" She looked to a clipboard. "A Mr. Barnes? Okie dokey!"

The halls were very broad and filled with offices and courtrooms. Cambria continued through the corridors, trying to put distance between herself and her other classmates. The wing was relatively large, so she should be able to get some solitude, only she couldn't help hearing Ms. Lombardi's stupid comment about the space.

Where was her maniac of a teacher by now? Probably in an office watching the security tapes, Cambria decided. What a fool.

She kept drifting down hallways until her footsteps were singular. Her feet softly echoed against the smooth, polished floors. Absently, she meandered through halls, where she came across fewer and fewer groups, and, eventually, individuals.

The exploration turned out to be pretty intriguing. She came across little mottos and plaques that gave brief descriptions of the courthouse founding. Cambria had always had an interest in culture and history, which is probably one of the factors that led her to get straight A's in Mr. Callahan's American History class. She can remember her father sharing mythological stories with her about gods and heroes, and little historical backgrounds about people like druids, the Knights Templar, and Joan of Arc. It made life seem interesting and purposeful—not limited to reality shows and stupid teenagers running around picking fights with her.

A statue stops her as she passed through the halls. Many things had decorated the courthouse, like paintings, certificates, tapestries, medals and seals, but there hadn't been many statues. This one was particularly interesting.

It was classical, like an ancient shrine, displaying a blindfolded woman made out of bronze. At her side, the woman gripped a sword, and in her other hand, she held a scale on a chain. She was draped in a beautiful _chiton_-like dress that hung loosely at her chest and an armband wrapped around her bicep. One of her feet was propped on a thick book, and swirling around it on the base of the statue was a serpent.

Cambria stood in awed admiration. She studied a diverse range of mythology, but this woman was unrecognizable. And yet, Cambria felt attached to her, whoever this statue depicted. A warm, sweet feeling fell over her. The statue let out a commanding, magnetic air to it. She didn't know whether to cry tears of joy or bow at the statue's feet.

_It's a statue. _Cambria mentally slapped herself. She was acting indefinitely strange lately. Maybe her new medication brought on some hormonal changes.

The edge of her peripheral vision flashed.

Cambria looked over her shoulder, seeing a stout silhouette cross the wall. It disappeared around the corner.

Without a single thought or concern, Cambria followed it. By herself, she felt free and without the baggage she usually carried. The shadow flickered through the corridor, and before it simply vanished, it blinked, revealing color to it. A flash of white and brown. Then, odd memories flooded into her mind. The bad ones—that sunny day outside her elementary school when she first encountered that beast. The psycho, she referred to, or Pan, since it wasn't human—like Pan, her favorite god.

Cambria never felt so suddenly alone and exposed.

She felt like crumbling to her knees, but she didn't. Breathing shakily, she knitted her eyebrows and stared at the corner again, waiting for it to return. She didn't care how many pills she swallowed, or what any school would have to say about her experiences.

There were a few things she was sure of. One, she was Cambria Grand. She was fifteen, originally from Cincinnati. Her father raised her from eight and up, and she'd been through a lot of schools. But two, and more profoundly, there had always been times were she was in grave danger. Only then, and now, she was able to overcome it and survive a little longer. She wasn't about to betray that now.

Sid had taught her that.

A voice slips into her head, and she's ready for it. This time, however, it was in English—not the voice she had heard before at all. It was her own, but mixed with a chorus of something else.

_Stand. _

The warning was the last thing she heard before her face smacked against the floor and she blacked out.

Her eyes opened, and Cambria quickly registered that she hadn't been out for too long. Minutes at most, since her heart was racing and her breathing fast. Her vision was still pretty sharp and considerably fresh to have been unconscious.

She urgently climbed to her feet but almost shrank back down as a reaction to an abrupt scream. She looked around. She was still so detached that she wondered if it were hers.

The voice was shrill and obviously female. Cambria, curious but so, so confused, launched herself like a ballista down the hall, running faster through a building than she was used to. Her heart beat like a drumstick being tapped on a cymbal.

The shrieks continued, full of anger and energy. They led her down to an alcove unattached to the floor and to a utility room among a stairwell. There, was an open window. Peering out, Cambria's lungs fell and her breathing held.

Several feet down in the little grassy campus beyond the courthouse, a huge, ten-foot long python screeches and lunges at a charging dark-haired girl. The creature blasts a venomous spray at the girl, who quickly jumps out of the path of the substance. It instead drenches a statue of Oliver Hazard Perry, and in frustration, the snake whips its tail around and sends the structure flying after a boy, who, after side stepping away, dips a silver blade into the poisonous trickle on the sculpture.

Overhead, another girl screams, the same one Cambria was hearing before. Even from the lengthy distance, she could tell the girl was stunningly beautiful with her long, silky blond hair. She rides a strange armed box that resembled some sort of chariot. Pulling it, two winged horses.

The blonde girl growls and sends a volley of arrows at the creature. Although, with lightning speed, it springs out of the way a second early. The snake smacks the chariot with its head, and it crashes to the ground with protest from the horses.

Shock, bafflement but excitement holds Cambria. The three kids look to be around her age, but it's hard to tell. The snake-beast continues to attack them, and she watches, only irritation prickles inside her. _She _could be down there, helping them! She would distract the snake and dodge venom, if only she were there! The teenagers needed help, anyone's help, and Cambria couldn't help feeling responsible.

It was a crazy idea.

Cambria had always been self-involved. She hated watching others taking authority and not doing things her way, only because she felt she could do it better. Helpingly, of course. But this was different.

And with all of these crazy sights—a giant snake and strange weapons and flying animals, Cambria wanted to know more. Or these images would haunt her.

But this was different. This was actually…unreal.

Strangely, she was filled with exuberance.

As she started to move, planning to run down the stairs, a hand grabbed her shoulder powerfully, halting her.

Spinning around, Cambria found herself facing Ms. Lombardi.

Her teacher had taken off her blazer and now her snakeskin scarf was awkwardly tied around her waist. Her mouth was knitted into a tight frown, reminding Cambria of the snake's, ready to shoot venom out any second.

She didn't have time for this. She shook the bony hand away.

"What are you doing—running around?" hissed Ms. Lombardi menacingly. Her voice sounded like a nail gun being fired into a sliver of wood. "The group has already _left._"

Oh, yeah, Cambria remembered suddenly. I guess it's been twenty minutes already. Where had the time gone?

Cambria backed up against the wall. She didn't feel comfortable so close to the teacher, now or ever. It was hard to communicate the words. She cried, "Look—there's trouble! The people outside—"

Ms. Lombardi cut her off with a laugh like a cat baring its fangs. "Foolish child. Watch as you brace yourself with such a sense of _justice._" She laughed again. "My children will devour those half-blood disgraces, how silly it is your belief in saving them when soon, you will be eaten as well."

Cambria's teeth clenched together. "I don't know what you're talking about." More angrily, she cried, "You're crazy! You're an old, psychotic lady, Ms. Lombardi! You'll die with no sense of reality, you ugly mental case!" Fury bubbled inside her and her hands began to shake. She didn't know what was going on, or why her algebra teacher was talking so darkly, and she couldn't prove _why _there were colossal snakes outside. But it was real, it was happening.

Ms. Lombardi's faded. "You fool. You dare insult me. I will have your death be _excruciating._"

She wanted to say something sarcastic to belittle Ms. Lombardi's threats, but she suddenly couldn't get a word out. Ms. Lombardi was peeling off her clothes with sharp, clawed hands. She shook her head whimsically, her black, glossy hair ripping out of its bun and flowing down her shoulders. She flung her sunglasses down the stairs and whipped her hair back, revealing a terrifying face: empty eyes filled with blackness and needle-like teeth bared behind a forked tongue.

Cambria let out a scream, took a step back and dropped down.

Ms. Lombardi was now a completely transformed creature. From the waist down, she was a serpent.

Flicking her snake tail back and forth, the beast roared, "Before you, the mother of all _dracaena_! Face your killer, demigod, the Great Queen of Libya! I am Lamia!"

With terrible clicking sounds like a demonic Donald Duck, Lamia lunged forward after Cambria, claws ripping through the air.

Instincts acting, Cambria ducked away and started bouncing down the stairs, Lamia, after smacking into the marble, on her heels.

On the last five stairs, Cambria jumps onto the floor and begins racing through the corridor. Goosebumps fly down her skin. She can hear Lamia racing after her, can feel her breath down her neck. With every step, she knows those awful teeth could rip into her at any second, so she runs faster and faster until her side is screaming in protest.

She skirts around in zigzags, trying to throw the monstress off. Whipping around and running circles with the beast, she meets her eyes head on.

"What are you?" Cambria screams, hoping to stall also.

"I am who you fear at night, what you cower to under your convers. I am the Eater of Children, and I'm going to eat you as snack—with any other misbehaving Olympian brats!"

Lamia charges and Cambria has no time to run. The two grapple on the floor, Lamia whirling around, baring her fangs, trying to get them close to Cambria's throat. They wrestle for a while until she is overpowered. On top of her, Lamia hisses, rolling her dark eyes to the back of her head.

Cambria grabs her neck and tries to push her away. She kicks at her, then hits her clean in the gut. The monster growls, and Cambria kicks her again, in the eye.

The beast is in no way hurt, but angry. Lamia lets out a frustrated roar, buying Cambria space to roll out from under her. Struggling to her knees, she runs to the nearest room and throws herself inside. She slams the door just as Lamia has reached the doorway, and the two connect. Cambria stands in front of it, pushing against it as it shakes. It creaks open a few inches and Cambria cringes, using all of her force to keep it barricaded. It works for a while, but as the crack gets wider and wider, she realizes it won't hold much longer.

Cambria leaps away and flies between two rows of benches in the courtroom.

The door blasts open and Lamia steps inside, clicking, "It smells like demigod flesh! Where are you hiding, my sweet meal?"

Once the beast entered, Cambria, with spider-like motion, crawls to the far end of the row and makes it to the front of the room. Lamia is looking around, checking for a scent trail. Climbing over a wall, Cambria again drops on her hands and knees and scuttles under various tables and around chairs.

Lamia laughs. "There you are, my dear!"

Cambria intakes a sharp breath. She has just enough time to lean against a bench to help her stand when Lamia is facing her on the other side of the judge's box.

She gulps. "I don't know why you're here. Or why this is happening. But I won't let you eat me as a snack!"

"Brave words, demigod," says Lamia mockingly. "They shall be your last."

Cambria grips a tall, antique lamp from off the box. She braces it like a sword. Shaky breath releases from her nostrils. She thought about saying, _Come on, then. Show me your worst, _or along the lines, but it sounded too weak, too defensive. She was being attacked, and fighting back like a wimpy, powerless fifteen-year-old girl. She grimaced at the idea and ran toward Lamia.

The monstress lunged forward to engage in the fight. Teeth bared, ready to chomp, Lamia's face came four or five inches from her face before Cambria swung the lamp. The rounded glass top whipped across her pale, sickly cheek and kept her at a distance. Pieces of the glass broke off in the assault, but Lamia was still undamaged.

Positioning the lamp like a jousting lance, Cambria drove it into Lamia's gut. The sharp, ragged head of the weapon dug into the beast's human abdomen, but not deep enough.

Lamia pulled out the lamp faster than Cambria could ever imagine, and swung her around attached to it. However, Cambria focused hard enough to hop away quickly after, dizzy. She fluttered to her knees but quickly fought to her feet and jumped out of the way of another attack.

The beast continued to be on the offense, clawing after Cambria and swinging her slinky tail back and forth. Most of the strikes Cambria managed to dodge somehow, as if seeing them come an instant before they struck. But it had to be fluke. She couldn't elude them much longer.

As she was chased around the room, dagger-like claws shearing her shoulders, Cambria made it to a chair and flung it at the creature's head. It was enough to keep it back, and Cambria climbed onto the top of a table and waited for it to strike again. As Lamia barreled after her, Cambria got a hold of the narrow end of its tail. As it whipped back, it took Cambria with her, yanking her through the air.

Lamia taunted her as she held on while Cambria bended her head forward to keep some balance. Riskily, she let go of the tail as it flicked up. The kinetic motion threw her in the air, and she grabbed at Lamia's hair, trying to fall on her back. Luckily, she did just barely. Upon falling, her side crashed into the creature's scaly back, pain flaring in her ribs. Still, she scrambled up to its shoulders with it screaming under her. Cambria wrapped her arms around its neck as it tried desperately to fling her off. When things got steadier, Cambria moved her arms around its head, her elbows folded under its chin in a lock, and her hands gripping its face. One of her hands cupped its ear and the other held its head. She wrestled and fought, trying to put the thing in a headlock or snap its neck, but she wasn't seeming to prevail. Lamia was much stronger than Cambria, and succeeded in scratching her flailing limbs. The monster bent forward and bucked her off her back with enough force to break all the bones in her body.

Cambria was thrown through the air like a spiraling Nerf football. She shattered against the wall, cracking her head against a paneled pillar. Sliding to the ground, she floated into a laying position with her injured skull resting on the smooth floor.

She moaned in pain. Her whole body screamed and she felt the room spinning. She couldn't get her brain to communicate with the rest of her, couldn't lift her arm, or even process a single thought. Her vision began to blur and her eye lids began to shut.

All she could hear was her low, soft breathing. The ceiling above her was dancing.

The beast crept into view as it hovered over her face. Her gnarled mouth turned upward in a deranged smile.

This is it, Cambria knew. Somewhere her body was communicating with her mind. She knew there was no way she could move sufficiently. She imagined in the future what her death would bring, what story would be televised on the news? How would her school handle one of their students dying? What would they know, exactly?

She was going to die. She wasn't going to exist. This monster would kill her and her spirit would have nowhere to go. She'd be gone. Forever.

The idea burned in her head, stung her eyes with unmoving tears. She couldn't stand it. All of her muscles, while paralyzed, twitched with anger at the thought of it. Her entire being was protesting, fighting back.

The pixelated, milky picture blurred in and out. One moment, Lamia was a foot away, and the next she was nose to nose, cocking her head with interest. In went in and out like that, and Cambria, who, if she could speak, would sob, dizzily put out her arms, bathed in her own blood, to block the beast.

Her head rolled back and her arms faltered to her sides. Teeth sink into her calf but she doesn't feel anything. Everything turns white and pale, almost veiled in mist. A comforting, soft sound floods through her, like a low hospital machine or a coffee maker spurting hot liquid. Lamia's face floats over her, tightening into a horrifying expression of an open mouth and wide eyes, one that would daze Cambria if she wasn't already out of it.

The beast rasps something that barely filters through to her, and the room, now dark, contracts. When it blinks back, it is filled with light, now peculiarly heavy with an additional presence.

Cambria doesn't physically see anything, but feels new—and strange-sensations, a mound of rocks, a solid, earthy foundation, calling to the room.

Another voice—not Lamia—creeps into her mind. She had never heard Pan speak a word, but as soon as heard it, something clicked inside her. A familiarity connected to her.

Lamia and Pan converse in a sleepy language, discussing something. An image of Pan comes to Cambria's one last time, the body that she had been choosing to address her in, the fragile form of a plump elderly woman. Smirking, the picture finally disappeared and Cambria's eyes close completely, sending her into her own unconsciousness.

She woke up gasping in the shaded, grassy area where she had seen the snakes attack the kids. Fighting for a steady train of breath, Cambria observed her surroundings nervously, expecting to see Lamia or her own dead body or something that would torture her until death.

Instead, the scariest adjustment was a tourniquet fitted onto her bicep. A bloody gauze was wrapped around her arm and ointment was applied to a nasty puncture wound on her calf. She removed a leaking ice pack wrapped in cloth and massaged the fracture it protected. The knot on her head throbbed, and her fingers dug up dried blood.

It was minutes later that Rowan came into focus, and the realization that he had woke her up.

"Cambria!" he cried.

Her friend looked a mess, even next to her. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot. There were dark, hallow shadows under them. His cheeks were pink and stained with trails of tears.

"Rowan?" Cambria croaked, surprised to hear her own voice.

"You're alive. You're alive, aren't you?"

Cambria smiled weakly and tried to raise up.

"Be careful," he warned.

"I'm all right now," she breathed in a tired voice. A million questions hesitated on her lips. "Are we still here?"

"You could have died," said Rowan brokenly. "Your arteries were scratched pretty bad. Cambria, it's a miracle that you survived."

She stared into his eyes highlighted gold in the sunlight.

"Rowan. What happened? Where's Ms. Lombardi? Lamia! Rowan, you'll never believe it, Ms. Lombardi tried to kill me!" She felt like Dorothy rambling to Aunty Em about Toto.

"Settle down," Rowan said calmly.

"No, Rowan, really! I know it's hard to believe but—but she's a monster. You've got to let me explain!" As Cambria rose to her feet to more boldly confront her friend, the sight made her crumble back into the grass.

Replacing where Rowan's legs should have been were a pair of wooly goat legs.

"And now you're half-barnyard animal?" Cambria cried. "I can't take so much in one day. Something's got to give."

Another boy walked up. Analyzing his face in confusion, Cambria vaguely recognized him as the black-haired boy who had been fighting off the reptiles.

"Rowan, go grow some flowers or something," he directed. A blubbering Rowan nodded childishly and rose.

"I should go," Rowan agreed. "Cambria, I tried to help you. I got there too late and you were…" he trailed off.

"Rowan." The boy glared and Rowan sauntered off. "I'm sorry," he said. "You probably have a concussion, so I didn't want you to faint at the sight of your friend."

"He's a goat," she whimpered dejectedly.

The boy kneeled down next to her, his gray eyes as hard as steel.

"The term we use is satyr," he explained patiently. "My name is Jordan. We'll take things slow, okay? I know you're probably very confused. Can I ask what your name is?"

She frowned. "I'm Cambria. I was on a field trip here…and…well I saw you and your friends fighting." She looked behind Jordan, scanning for the two girls he was with. They weren't far off, in the shade of a tree, grooming the horses. Oh, wait. Winged horses.

Jordan nodded solemnly. "Those were Libyan vipers. We were ambushed by them on our quest."

"What happened to them?"

The body smiled. "We defeated them. They're monsters, so they'll reform later, but we don't know how soon to be exact. But for now, their spirits are in Tartarus."

Cambria paled.

"Over there, that's Rylie and Karen. They're trying to fix our chariot."

"Oh yeah, it busted."

"Right. The repairs should be done soon. We were sent here on a quest. We keep track of all the satyrs that are sent from our camp, and Chiron—that's our activities director—had been in contact with one of your teachers, Corey Callahan. Rowan called us because he needed help."

Chiron. Satyrs. Camp, Mr. Callahan. It all swirled together in a confusing pool.

"Wait. My teacher, Mr. Callahan, he mentioned a summer camp," Cambria said, sitting up. "Is that you guys?"

"I'd bet so. Chiron said he was a camper back in the day."

"Chiron… _The _Chiron, the trainer of Achilles?"

Jordan nodded. "That's him. There's more to explain. The problem is, many of our demigods have been missing and less have been coming to camp. We have a fair idea of what's going on, and Ry, Karen and me were issued a quest to kill the monster that attacked you. It's working for Gaea."

"The titan mother?"

"Yes. I'm getting the feeling you know quite a bit about Greek mythology."

"Well…I know a bit. I used to be obsessed with it until I moved on to other things."

Jordan grinned, revealing bright white teeth. "That was me before I found Camp Half-Blood. I was shocked too, when I found out the gods were real."

"So they are real," Cambria echoed. "Lamia…did mention something about half-bloods, I think? And demigods."

"She was the monster, then. Don't say her name again, though. In our world, names our powerful. It might attract the wrong crowd."

Cambria swallowed hard. "Oh. Sorry."

"It's okay. Honestly, it's the same speech to every becoming half-blood. And yes, the official term is demigod, the children of the Olympian gods."

"So…you're a demigod, too, then?"

He nodded. "We're all demigods. You, me, Karen, Ry. Except for Rowan, he's a satyr, like I said. We've all been through it. We know how you feel. You probably had trouble in school, you were an outcast, didn't have a true identity? I'm guessing you had weird incidents with monsters, too. That's not uncommon, either."

She shuddered. That was true.

"It never changes," admitted Jordan. "You can try to live in the real world, but trust me, it only gets worse. That's why people like you and me, we can go to Camp Half-blood. It's the only safe place for us, really. We can train there."

"I don't know who my mom is," Cambria said. "I've never met her. If she was a god, wouldn't I know?"

"Hey, you're preaching to the choir. My dad raised me alone his whole life, told me my mom died from stupidity of having me."

"Harsh."

"Yeah, I know. He didn't live long after that. Gods are proud in that way. Well, gods aren't exactly attentive parents but that doesn't mean monsters won't go near you. And once you find out, the scent gets stronger."

Cambria gulped at his words. "Do you know who your mom is?"

"Oh, yeah. Cambria, once you get to Camp Half-blood, your parent claims you. I came there when I was thirteen. My mother, Athena, claimed me that night."

"Oh—I know about Athena. She's the goddess of wisdom, right?"

"Yes. I can't go into detail about all the details right now, but it's important for you to know the truth. The world of mythology is very real—and dangerous."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"Don't worry, though. We'll take you back to camp, and things will get clearer. You'll get help. You'll have support. How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

Jordan's eyes went wide. "Wait, you're fifteen? And haven't been claimed?"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Kind of. By oath, all demigods should be claimed at thirteen. Some take a while longer. I guess it has to do with Gaea. She's awakening, and I think she's sending more monsters out to stop the campers we recruit."

"Like Lami—I mean, like Ms. Lombardi?"

"Yeah. That's her main mistress. Rowan sent us an Iris message, claiming he found her at your school. We came to kill her. She's very dangerous. I mean, she's the monster who inspired the Boogie Man."

"Dude, do not compare her to the Boogie Man in my presence."

"I'm sorry," said Jordan lightly. "Speaking of Iris messages, we're going to leave pretty soon, when the girls are done fixing our ride to camp. We weren't able to find your teacher on the property, so we think she must of reformed into a new disguise and went to another school. You should call your dad."

The thought of her dad should bring on uncomforting emotions, but Cambria was thinking of something else. "Wait. No, Lam—dang it! Ms. Lombardi didn't go to a new school. I was kind of out of it when it was going on, but…she was talking to someone before she left. I know who, I just don't know who specifically."

"Huh?"

"Ugh! I don't know. You know how you mentioned how it's common for demigods to experience monster experiences when they were younger, too?"

"Yeah. They usually monitor us when we're little and nonthreatening. Strangers in the park, things like that."

"Then that's probably what it was. Well, a few years ago, I saw this old woman. No one else noticed her, or the effects she had. She'd reverse things, or…_change _it, and when I asked people, they didn't know what I was talking about. I've always seen her, in windows and such. She became so involved in my life that I thought about her all the time, and came up with a reasoning behind her. Some alien or nonhuman. I'd call her Pan, after the god.

"Anyways, I saw Pan, too, before I passed out. I heard her talking to the monster. I think she was calling her back, or something. Maybe to a mountain…I don't know, I just saw rock. Before that, I saw some shadows in the courthouse. I guess it could have been her."

Jordan listened intently, his eyes never leaving her face as he spoke. "Interesting," he murmured after a patient pause. "Rocks, you said? That makes a lot of sense."

Not to me, she thought.

"I'm going to talk to Chiron and give him another update."

"But what do you think it—"

Cambria was cut off when the dark-haired girl appeared at Jordan's side. Up close, Cambria got a better look at her. She was a few inches taller than her but looked to be the same age. She was of Filipino descent with long, black hair and shiny dark eyes, was clad in a breast plate, with a long sheathed knife hanging at her waist.

"Jordan, the chariot is all ready. Karen fixed the gears, that's why the wheel wouldn't hold," she informed. "Oh, she's awake?"

"Yeah, I've been explaining to her what happened. This is Cambria. Cambria, this is Rylie Santiago."

"Or Ry," she said. "It's nice to see that you're all better. How's your arm feeling?"

Cambria fiddled with the tourniquet. "Better, thanks. I saw you fighting earlier. I really wanted to help somehow, not that I'd make a significant difference. Besides maybe getting you killed."

Ry grinned. "Yeah, we put on a show! Those Egyptian lizards or whatever didn't know what hit 'em. Don't worry, Cambria, demigods have natural fighting abilities anyways. It's in our blood."

"Yeah…but I naturally ruin things. It's in my history."

She laughed good naturedly. "It looks to me like you put up a fight with Snake Breath. Unarmed." She unsheathed her knife and dropped it at Cambria's side. "At least now you can defend yourself properly."

Cambria gripped the leather handle. It felt well balanced and her hand, like it lethally belonged there. The blade, shimmering in the sunlight, was made out of a goldish metal. Bronze, like the statue in the courthouse. "Thanks. That's such a kind gesture for you to make."

Ry laughed. "My first weapon was a knife. We'll see how you fare with it. Celestial bronze, the only thing that'll kill monster. Mined straight from Mount Olympus."

"That sounds good enough for me. It's better than a lamp."

"Is that what you used?"

"Oh yeah. It's what I had in there. And these." She laid out her palms and flexed her fingers. "Actually, no, you take back the knife then."

"Ha, ha, ha. That's funny. You remind me of myself. Here, follow me, let me show you our Pegasi."

The chariot had been repaired and was now leaning against the tree. Karen, the beautiful blonde girl, was harnessing the horses and fixing the reigns when the two joined her.

"She's not dead," Ry announced. "Karen, this is Cambria. She fought off the lamia."

"I tried, anyways."

Karen turned. She had large, almond-shaped eyes like Cambria, but they were stormy blue. She had perfect makeup, carefully applied smoky eyeshadow, and salon-quality golden highlights in her luscious dirty blonde tousled tendrils. Under her breastplate, she wore a gray and black Victoria Secret V neck.

"Hi," she greeted in a richly feminine, sweet voice.

She recalled seeing Karen's fall, and worriedly asked, "Are you all right? After that drop?"

Karen smiled. "I'm okay. My leg is a little stiff, but I'm doing okay. What about you? You lost a lot of blood out there."

Ry turned to Cambria. "She won't take any ambrosia."

"Uh, she needed it more, Ry," Karen spat.

"Can I ask what ambrosia is?" Cambria cut in.

"It's the food of the gods," said Ry. "It heals us demigods, but, like nectar, if we drink or eat too much, we burn up. Literally."

"Sheesh," Cambria muttered.

"We brought some for medical emergencies. Really, all demigods should. You just need to know your limits."

"Is your leg feeling better?" Cambria asked. "If you need some medicine, I'll go see if there's any left."

"No, no, that's okay," said Karen. She leaped out of the chariot. She was about an inch taller than Cambria, and maybe a year older, if that. "It doesn't hurt too bad."

Cambria nodded, glancing at the girl's leg. Blood stained her jeans, but it was parallel to her other one, which was a good sign. "That's good. So, who are your guys' godly parents?"

"My dad is Hermes, the god of messengers," Ry explained.

"And thieves!" Karen added. She mouthed to Cambria, _Watch your wallet. _

Cambria smiled.

"And Miss Know-it-All over there is a son—I mean daughter— of Aphrodite, the love goddess. Unfortunately, she has to pay for lack of brain cells with beauty."

"You said 'Miss' and 'son' in the same sentence."

"I'm glad you pay so much attention to what I say," Ry replied. "You should do it more, you'll learn more that way."

"You're dumb, Ry," laughed Karen. To Cambria, she said, "And I'm not a brainless blonde, that's a stereotype. Don't take anything she says seriously."

"I know," said Ry. In a voice on the verge of tears, she whimpered, "it's so hard being an Aphrodite kid. No one understands me!"

Cambria was laughing. "Is it normal for Hermes and Aphrodite kids not to get along?"

Karen smiled. "We're teasing each other. We're really friends."

"If that's what you think," grumbled Ry, then grinned at Cambria.

Jordan and Rowan walked up from behind them. "Alright, enough, you two. We have to get back to camp, Chiron wants to talk to Cambria, and she still has to contact her dad."

"That's okay," muttered Cambria. "I don't want to talk to him right now."

Jordan studied her quizzically. "Your dad?"

"Yeah."

He bit his lip. "I can understand that. But won't he be worried when you don't come home?"

"He works late. I'll call him tomorrow."

"If that's what you want," said Jordan. "Karen…is the chariot ready?"

"Yes, I told you that," Ry answers.

Jordan glares pointedly at the daughter of Hermes. "Do you have experience with horses, Cambria?"

"Somewhat."

"Then you'll get used to the Pegasi. The chariot will be kind of cramp, but we should all fit."

"What did Chiron say, Jordan?" pesters Ry.

Jordan bit his lip again and his eyes scanned the skyline absently. "He wants to talk to Cambria about Pan."

"Pan?"

"A monster," said Cambria. "What, does he know who it is, Jordan?"

"He could. We'll have to go to camp to find out."

Ry stared, unimpressed, at Jordan. "Jordan, stop acting like a deaf kid at Wal-Mart, what does Chiron want?"

Jordan grimaces at her. "A deaf kid at Wal-Mart?"

"Will you just answer me! What's the problem?"

His face went red. He held Ry's gaze and it was silent for several moments. Then he licked his lips and exclaimed, "They weren't able to close the doors, okay? They died! And now no monsters are staying in Tartarus! Are you content now, Ry? That you have to annoy everyone? Why can't you just leave things alone?" Jordan shouted.

Suddenly the ground began shaking. Rowan and Cambria exchanged nervous glances. Jordan was now completely quiet, slowly turning around to face the loud rumbling ahead of them.

Birds flew out into the sky, cawing like crazy. Cambria gripped her knife. Materializing from a nest of trees appeared a huge serpent.

"Oh, no," groaned Jordan. "Everyone in the chariot! The vipers are back!"


End file.
